Dracula astuta (Rchb. f.) Luer 1978 SUBGENUS Dracula SECTION Dracula SUBSECTION Dracula SERIES Parviflorae Photo by © Pieter C. Brouwer and his Nature Photo Website Photo by Andy's Orchids, Copyright © 2002 All rights reserved TYPE Drawing by © Carl Luer Common Name or Meaning The Clever Dracula [Reichenbach made this allusion and it is unclear as to what he meant]
Flower Size 2" wide 8" long [5 x 20 cm]
Found in Cartago province of Costa Rica at elevations around 1000 to 1700 meters as a small sized, cool growing epiphyte with slender, erect ramicauls enveloped basally by 2 to 3 loose, tubular sheaths and carrying a single, apical, thinly coriaceosu, carrinate, narrowly elliptical-obovate, acute, gradually narrowing below into the conduplicate, indistinct petiolate base leaf that blooms throughout the year on a basal, slender, horizontal to descending, arising from low on the ramicaul, 8" [20 cm] long, loose, successively 3 to 5 flowered, racemose inflorescence and carrying tubular, as long as a bit longer than the pedicel floral bracts.
Similar to Dracula erythrochaete but differs in the usually slightly wider leaves and larger, longer tailed, more colorful flowers that are widely spread and with a larger lip." Luer 1993
Synonyms Dracula erythrochaete subsp. astuta (Rchb.f.) Hermans 1997; Dracula gorgo (Rchb. f. ex Kraenzl.) Luer 1978; *Masdevallia astuta Rchb. f. 1886; Masdevallia erythrochaete var. astuta (Rchb. f.) Woolward 1896; Masdevallia gorgo Rchb. f. ex Kraenzl. 1925
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
Gard. Chron., n.s. 26(671): 584. 1886.; Repert. Sp. Nov. Regni. Veg. Beih. 19: 169. Costa Rica Schlechter 1923 as Masdevallia astuta; * Selbyana 2(2-3): 193. 1978; Thesaurus Dracularum Vol 6 Luer, Escobar and Dalstroem 1993 watercolor/drawing fide; Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXIV Luer 2002 drawing fide; Orchid Digest Vol 61 #4 1997 as D erythrochaete vsubsp astuta photo fide; Australian Orchid Review Vol 65 No 6 2000 photo; Manual de Plantas de Costa Rica Vol 3 Hammel, Grayum, Herrera and Zamora 2003; Mille et Une Mini Orchideees Roguenant 2009 photo fide; Orchids Masdevallia with its segregates including Dracula Zelenko 2014 photo fide;
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